The present invention concerns a feeder for poultry, used mainly in a poultry feeding facility. In particular, the present invention relates to apparatus for feeding poultry or like animals in large scale houses over the entire life cycle of the animals.
Such a facility typically includes a feed-distribution system connected to screw conveyors mounted in very long tubes. Regularly spaced along each conveyor are several feeders, pans or receptacles connected to the conveyors so as to receive feed therefrom. The feed transported by each tube is routed to the feeders as they are being emptied, so as to refill them.
One feeder of the type typically used in such a distribution installation, for example, is described in Patent Document EP-A-68 023. In its simplest form, that consists of a circular cup with raised edges attached by means of shafts to a gear on the feed supply tube. A controllable feeding system above is provided to refill the cup from the feed supply tube.
An inconvenience of that type of feeder comes from the fact that it is not adapted to use by all ages of poultry, from chick to chicken. The feeder described in the above-mentioned patent is, in effect, adapted to older chickens, the edges of this feeder are generally too high for young chicks.
The purpose of the present invention, then, is to propose a feeder related to the type just described, but which is adapted to use by animals of young age as well as adult animals.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a feeder, the feed capacity of which can be varied according to the age of the animals to which it is applied.
To this effect, a feeder according to the present invention is characterized by its including a receptacle consisting of two chutes or sections of which one is able to be lodged inside the other, said chutes being able to assume between them all relative positions between a position where the first chute is inside the other chute, so that the receptacle presents its smallest capacity for feed presentation, and another position where said chutes only overlap in an area of small size, so that the receptacle presents its highest capacity for feed presentation.
According to another characteristic of the present invention, said two chutes, to be able to assume their said relative positions, are able to pivot freely one about the other and independently of each other. Appropriately, each chute is shaped as a portion of a cylinder.
According to another characteristic of the present invention, it includes a feed hopper in the general shape of an inverted V, with an opening at its top through which the feed from a distribution system is emptied and with an opening in its lower part, that empties into the receptacle.
According to another characteristic of the present inventions, inside the hopper, there is a feed flow directing wall in the general shape of an inverted V.
According to another characteristic of the present invention, said feeder includes a manual control system for pivoting or moving the chutes between a variety of desired positions of different feed retaining capacity or no feed retaining capacity.
According to one production variation, said feeder includes a control system for pivoting the chutes that is equipped with a cable, a connection system attached to the cable on one end, and, on the other end, attached to the outer edges of each of the chutes, by means of shafts, rods or additional cables.
According to another characteristic of the present invention, the connection system consists of a first lever that can pivot about a pin and two secondary levers connected to the pin, the free ends of the secondary levers are connected to the edges of the chutes.
According to another characteristic of the present invention, one edge of each chute is made with a ledge. According to another characteristic of the present invention, it is possible to pivot the two chutes to their maximum position, in such a way that they no longer overlap, thus opening the lower part of the receptacle.